How To Water Plants Without Making a Mess

We have all done it. You go to water your indoor plants and the next thing you know, you are feeling drips on your feet. Shlepping plants to and from the sink to water them and let them drain is a pain and, dare I say, unnecessary. Let me show you how to water plants without making a mess.

I have a very nice woman who lives across the street from me, and her thumb couldn’t be any greener. She showers me with plants and berries all spring and summer and all I have to give her in return is cut hydrangeas. They are one of the few plants that grown well in my yard. Luckily they dry well and you can do all sorts of things with them.

Anyway, she gave me an orchid which I was reluctant to take for fear that I would kill it. Me and orchids haven’t seen eye to leaf in the past. But she assured me that if I stuck 3 ice cubes a week in the soil, it would be fine. And it has been. For months.

It hasn’t bloomed yet but it’s leaves are green and it looks happy, just flowerless.

The important part is, it’s alive! I figured if ice cubes were good enough for my orchid, they were good enough for my other indoor plants too. So I started dropping a few ice cubes in my plants once a week instead of bringing them to the sink to water them.

It works without making a mess because the ice melts slowly, allowing the dirt to absorb it instead of flooding and draining.

It was a total “Why didn’t I think of that” moment for me. And walking around the house with a bowl of ice is much easier than a watering can.

Now back to that orchid….any ideas why it isn’t flowering? Give me your best orchid ideas.

Here are some fun ice cube trays and shapes along with some “While You Are Away” watering options for

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And before you go, check out some of these tips and tricks.

Need a simple fix for watering your outdoor plants without a sprinkler system. This works for me.

Neat idea Sort of reminds me of the “wicking method”. But two thoughts come to mind:
1.) Over the course of a years, I’d hate to see how much energy this method ends up consuming. It takes a lot of electricity to make ice. Seems a bit of a shame to turn a houseplant into an ‘appliance’. Maybe someone could do some back-of-the-napkin math and we’d know if this was significant or not.
2.) More importantly….I wonder if just-above-freezing water is hamrful to your average houseplant? I think most houseplants are actually shade-tolerant tropical perennials, who probably did not evolve with freezing cold water bathing their roots constantly. I know that keeping root systems warm can be very important for a lot of plants (hence soil-heating cable systems). I can’t think of any plant that would really prefer to have an iced root-ball!

I wrote this under the assumption that most people have ice in their freezer on a regular basis. Most modern refrigeration models have automatic ice makers as well so I’m fairly certain that this method wouldn’t impact someone’s energy consumption. I have a few plants and end up using around 12 ice cubes each week. I’m pretty sure that would not equate to any significant energy use.

As to your concern for the temperature, my plants have not been harmed by the ice as I believe it melts so slowly from the top of the soil that it has come to room temperature by the time it reaches the root. I also don’t constantly have ice in the plants. I drop a few ice cubes in once a week and that’s all my plants need.

I love orchids! I haven’t had one reboot yet, but I heard it takes a while. I do know they don’t like their “feet” wet. I would check periodically to make sure that it doesn’t get flooded and it’s draining properly. I lost one like that that I’d had for a year. Oh and aren’t orchids typically winter bloomers? I think they bloom once a year and the blooms can last a couple months or so.

Ahhhh! Maybe that’s it Roxana. Maybe orchids require a bit more patience on the blooming than I have offered it. Well, as long as its leaves are green I’m happy and it can stay put and wait for summer.

Orchids will only bloom every 6 months or so because they have to “recharge” after the last bloom. To get them blooming they have to spend nights at around 55F and days around 70F. I do this by putting mine outside at night in November and bringing them in during the day. They cannot go below 50 or they will suffer. If you do this for 2 weeks to a month you should see a new flower shoot growing. Once the shoot starts you can stop putting them outside.

Orchids need pretty high humidity and light to bloom – not full sun, but a grow light. I keep the humidity around 80% – and you can do this easily by sitting a saucer under your orchid, filling it with pebbles and then adding enough water to almost cover the pebbles – do not add enough water that the pot ends up sitting in water. Misting daily helps too. I use distilled or spring water for my orchids and they seem to like that. Also there is a special orchid fertilizer and I recommend that too. I submerge my orchids in their pots in fertilized water for half an hour once a week. Since mine are growing in a terrarium there is no issue with any excess water draining off. Your orchid looks great by the way. Very healthy. The ice does not hurt the plant although I would recommend – and this is hard with orchids I know – to try to avoid putting an ice cube right on the roots. Yes, most houseplants are tropical or subtropical in nature and do not like cold but three ice cubes are not typically enough to do any damage and as they melt the water is at room temperature. I would definitely keep the ice cubes off the foliage. Orchids can bloom anytime of the year – it all depends on the variety. They can also re-bloom. I hope some of this helps!

That helps a lot Sheri Ann. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge! I’m glad it looks healthy to you. Maybe it bloom for me if I follow your advice. Hey, at least I haven’t killed it 🙂

Whenever I drop an ice cube on the floor I just put it in a plant. (Since I am in California where we had a major drought). It really is such an easier way to water than pouring & I always seem to spill lol! Great post!

I have a water softener & would not use ice cubes made with soft water. Plants do not like softened water. I have 7 orchids & I have one that was blooming when I got it & it is blooming the third time, including when I got it. I got it at Thanksgiving of 2014. They bloom about once a year. I found out I did not need any special orchid fertilizer to get them to grow. I use Hasragrow, same as for all my other plants, as recommended by the owner of a fabulous nursery, here in San Antonio. Orchids hate drafts, such as ceiling fans, heat or a/c vents. In my previous home, orchids died before I could get them to re-bloom. In my new house, they love it, because of the huge windows & I do not have them under ceiling fans here. I think they like to be root bound too. I am attending an orchid seminar We’d., during my Garden Center meeting, so I will learn more. Chaun

If your Orchid came in the same pot that you bought it in or if it came in the same pot someone gave it to you in. There is a inner container in your pot then your supposed to submerge your orchid in water for 5 minutes and pull out the inner container and drain all water once a week. And if your orchid is not blooming it is because you are needing food for the Orchid. They sell Orchid food. The other reason is your orchid is outgrown the pot that you have it in. The root system is too big. You will need to find a bigger pot that has at least one whole at the bottom that you can plug and you can find orchid planting material same as what your Orchid came in. And it will feed it for a good amount of time. And once you replant it and spread out the root system you will see that your orchid will start blooming again. They are supposed to submerge the entire plant in water for 5 minutes once a week and then drain it well. That way it gives the roots the hydration it needs otherwise your roots are drying out and that’s why you’re not having any blooms. If you replant your orchid you do not need to feed it. I hope this helps.

Hi! I’m Jillian and I love to make my home beautiful by using my DIY skills, my eye for design and my love of a bargain. I tell everyone and anyone who will listen, about my latest projects. Got a minute? 🙂Read more…

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